10,000 Birds

We continue, against better judgment, to document the avian condition in poster form. The results are neither encouraging nor untrue.

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While birders mostly look at birds on the level of species or subspecies, some are or were famous as indiduals. Here are nine examples. Martha (Passenger Pigeon) was the last known individual of her species and died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Given that Passenger Pigeons had once formed enormous flocks across North America, her death later came to r...

Earlier this year (Feb 18), I wrote about seeing my lifer Mangrove Cuckoo in Florida. That bird had eluded me for 18 years. It made me think that maybe this year, I could see all three North American cuckoos. As all long-time birders know, we are always trying to find ways to challenge and amuse ourselves. Mangrove Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Black-billed Cuckoo are consi...

We sent out another list of questions to bird guides who have already been profiled on 10,000 Birds. In the fifth edition of this second series, we ask What makes a client memorable—for good or bad reasons? Here are the answers. For good: someone who is interested not just in having a tick of species. For bad: those who disregard birds’ behavior and protection. Gabor Orban, H...

Light as a Feather: A KidLit Bird Book Review Will Hillenbrand’s book Light as a Feather holds love in each bird’s illustration: a hidden heart. The book was originally inspired by drawings he sent to cheer up a friend who was seriously ill. These easter eggs will make a fabulous game of “can you find” with young children. Will Hillenbrand’s illustration of a Common Loon in h...